October 29, 2012

October 29

Hello Family,

This week has been a good week, but has had a lot of challenges. We started out the week really well and had great success finding and talking to many people that we saw. Tuesday we went to visit some people that the wards wanted us to visit. We didn't have any luck with catching people at home and some didn't even want to come to the door. That was kind of a bummer, but on a good note we had great contact with people on the way to other appointments. We talked to this guy named Russ and he is a baptist and had lots of questions for us and we were able to answer them all for him. We talked to him for about an hour. The conversation went really well and I was impressed at how much he already knew about our church. I thought that was very fun to talk to him and to be able to bear our testimonies about what we believe. We even told him that he should read the Book of Mormon and to pray to know if Joesph Smith is a true prophet because he has read some of the Book of Mormon already. He was a neat guy and has great potential.

We also had this feeling to stop by the church one afternoon and sitting there in the parking lot was a homeless man. We got out of the car and asked him if he wanted some water and something to eat. He gladly said yes. We were able to talk with him for a little bit and was able to talk to him about our church. We then had this thought to call the Verdugo Elders to come over. They came right over and were able to talk to him some more and were able to teach him a little bit about the Restoration. They even left him with a blessing. Helping this guy made me so happy. I am glad that I was able to listen to the spirit and to follow the promptings. Every time that I act on a prompting, I notice the blessings and the tender mercies from the Lord. Each time my testimony gets stronger too.

A cool thing happened to us this past week as well. We were looking through the Former's and a family that had been investigating, but then stopped. Sister Davidson and I both felt strongly that we needed to go and see this family and to see if they would be interested in taking the missionary discussions again. There names are Brian and Julie. Brian is a non-member and Julie is a convert of the church, but stopped going when she was in college. They have three kids. When we knocked on the door. Julie answered and she looked like she was really happy to see us. We introduced ourselves and asked if they would like us to come by and teach them. She gave us a little background of where they are and said that she really thinks that this is the right thing for her family and really wants to come back to church. Her only concern is that she doesn't want to go with out her husband. She told us that she misses the way that she feels every time that she would go to church. She even started to get emotional about this and I could tell that this is what she really wants for her family. We offered to come and do a family night with them so that they could get that feeling of peace and to decide if they are ready to investigate again. One of their boys is of age to be baptized as well. We are going to be teaching them about the Plan of Salvation and Prayer on Tuesday night. I am so excited to be able to help them come closer together as a family and to help Julie feel that peace that she is seeking. After we left, I could already see them being so happy and wearing white at their baptism and a year later being sealed together for eternity. This little moment was a little reminder of why I am out here on a mission. I want to be able to help families like this one to find that happiness and joy and to know that they can be a family forever. I have grown such a great love for the people that I have come in contact with and my heart aches so badly to be help them know the restored gospel.

We had a Trunk-or-Treat party with the two wards that we are in and they were both pretty good. We also had both of our investigating families come with us. :) Hugo and is family came. Erin (wife) has been showing real interest in wanting to learn more about the gospel. Earlier this week we were able to meet with them and to watch the Sunday morning conference session with them and Erin and Serena(one of the other girls) sat in with us. Erin was really interested in the talks and really like President Erying's talk. They are a great family and we have another appointment with them later tonight and will finish watching conference with them. They had so much fun at the Halloween party and the whole family came. We got so much closer with them and were able to build some trust with them. It was funny because at the end they were about to leave and with out thinking I blurted out "Hey Hugo are you all going to come to church on Sunday?" He said that he wasn't sure and that they would try to make it and the Erin was even going to come. I was so excited to hear that Erin might come. They, however, didn't show up. I was a little sad, but I didn't let it get to me and was able to move past that feeling. 

Matt and Sarah also came with our ward members the Herrick's. They had some much fun and were making lots of great friends in the ward. The second ward is so great and making sure that they felt welcomed and loved. Sarah had so much fun talking and meeting with other sisters in the ward. She was so funny. She wanted pictures with all of us and the members (including herself) I though this was an excellent activity for them to come to and to meet new people. Sarah is so open and they both keep coming back for more. Every time that we invited them to a church activity or have dinner with the Herrick's they always come and want to hear what we have to teach them next. I really hope that Sarah has been reading the Book of Mormon that we gave them. Oh another cool thing is that she has invited us to come to her son's birthday party next week. She really likes us and has become more open with us and wants us to keep coming back. I am seeing great progress with her.

We are going to be having a baptism on November 10. Angela the girl that we picked up last week said yes to a baptism date and the lessons with her and going great. I just hope that she is learning what she needs to before she gets baptized and that she is doing this for the right reason. She is a special and loving girl and has great potential in her life. She is amazing and loves going to church and hanging out with the young women.

Alright so some challenges that I have been faced with this week. I can tell that Satan is working really hard on me and is trying to get me to think that I am not a good missionary and that I have nothing ever to say. This has been hurting me and has been making it hard for me to work hard. Sister Davidson has been good and has been helping me feel good and that I am a good missionary. I know that she has been a little frustrated with me because I don't talk as much as her in our lessons or in contacting people. This has been frustrating me too because I know what I have to say is true, but I guess I just have been afraid to speak up. I have been praying hard and asking for help to open my mouth and for me to concentrate on those that we are serving instead of my self. As I have been doing this I have found that I am feeling more confident in myself and have been talking a lot more. I have been sharing the load better with Sister Davidson and I have felt much better about myself. I am finally starting to feel more and more comfortable talking to people. I love Sister Davidson and she is always so great to help me out when I am feeling down. We have been able to be up front and talk about problems that we have and have been able to work those out and to stay unified as a companionship. We have been doing great things together.

Love Sister Ackley -enjoy the pictures.